Phi Mu Alpha serenades

On Friday night, the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha had its third annual Philanthropy Week Recital. The recital featured a variety of music. It started with a cover of “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson, showcasing impressive dancers and a fantastic trumpet section.

Phi Mu Alpha performed a total of thirteen tracks. Although I appreciated them all, my personal favorites were “The Parting Glass,” “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” “Lux Aurumque,” and “Down to the River to Pray.”

I really enjoyed seeing the performance of “The Parting Glass” because it captured the traditional Scottish and Irish folk song, and, performed by senior Taylor Conley, stuck out as an ode to his great years in Phi Mu Alpha.

“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” was impressive not just for the performance, but its instrument switches: One person had to switch instruments twice while performing the song. The most impressive part about it was that it felt natural, and didn’t look rushed. He calmly replaced his instruments both times.

“Down to the River to Pray” was the closer, and it did its job well. Everyone participated in the a capella tune, generating a wonderful sense of unity and joy in front of the audience. During this song, the fraternity really came across as just that: A fraternity. A brotherhood of excellent singers and musicians.

I thought that the most impressive performance overall was “Lux Aurumque.” A pretty song by nature, Phi Mu Alpha sang an excellent rendition, with a wide range of voices and harmonies. I very much enjoyed its hypnotizing effect. This song encapsulated me the most.

All of Phi Mu Alpha’s musicians performed well. The Simon and Garfunkel cover was a solid take on an old classic, the Dust Bowl Refugees’ performance of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder was phenomenal, and towards the end of the show there was a percussion line that did a fantastic job of drawing the audience in.

Of course, there were some other surprise entries as well. “Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf” was a rather comical insertion. Some of the performers read the song’s lyrics from their phones while singing it, which made the number even funnier. Another surprise entry was “Make You Better” by the Decemberists. The recital contained many talented musicians, excellent songs, and really demonstrated Phi Mu Alpha’s musical talent. I was very impressed at the performances, can’t wait to attend their next recital, and encourage all to attend.